For the First Time All Over Again
by Animaltalker
Summary: When Lennie's introduced to ME Rodgers he realizes they've met before. Depending on response there may be more of this


Lennie Briscoe walked into the morgue behind his new partner Mike Logan and nearly came to a screeching halt in his tracks. Logan was introducing him to the attractive Medical Examiner, but Lennie was having a hard time tracking. His mind had just jumped back over a dozen years.

He was in desperate need of a cup of coffee, and that's what had brought him into the diner that afternoon. What made him stay was an attractive redheaded co-ed. Lennie definitely had a weakness for redheads, and he was now paying alimony and child support to prove the point. If he knew what was good for him, he'd get his cup of 'joe' to go, and just forget all about the gal who was studying in the booth by the window. He opted to stay, and even asked the waitress to seat him in the next booth over. Then he ordered a coffee and a slice of pie to go with it.

Elizabeth glanced up from her Organic Chemistry book when the man walked in. He was tall and lanky, and while not classically handsome there was something very interesting about him, something in the eyes. There was also something about the way he carried himself that made her think he wasn't a run of the mill businessman, even though that was the way he was dressed. When he sat down at the next booth, she caught a glimpse of a gun in a shoulder holster. So, he wasn't a run of the mill businessman. He was either a cop or a gangster. He'd smiled very charmingly at the waitress, so she didn't think he could be a gangster, though she supposed there could be charming gangsters too.

"Could I borrow some sugar," Lennie asked.

"Uh what?" Elizabeth asked, terribly embarrassed to have been caught daydreaming by the subject of her whimsy.

"There's no sugar on my table and I need some for my coffee," Lennie explained, glad that she'd been distracted and hadn't noticed him hiding the sugar from his table just moments before so he'd have an excuse to approach her.

"Oh sure, no problem," she answered as she handed him packets from her table.

"I see you're studying Organic Chemistry. Are you taking it at City College?" he asked.

"Yes I am. I'm pre-med," she answered rather proudly.

"Yeah, so was I, until I got to Dr Wieder's Organic Chem I," Lennie responded as he took a moment to study her. She was a natural beauty, no makeup and her long red hair simply pulled back into a ponytail.

"By the way, my name's Lennie Briscoe," he said, as he brought his pie and coffee over to her table and stood there a moment, until she nodded that he could join her.

"I'm Elizabeth Rodgers," she said, and as she did, she heard a small voice inside her saying, 'you shouldn't talk to strangers, darling' and another one saying, 'he's the big bad wolf'. She wanted to giggle at the voices, but she didn't want Lennie to think she was strange. She wanted him to think she was beautiful and sexy, and worldly enough for him to be interested in her.

"So is Wieder still teaching there?" Lennie asked.

"The name doesn't ring a bell, but I heard they lost a few instructors with the financial crisis a few years back. So what did you change your major to?" she asked.

"Actually, I dropped out and went to the police academy," Lennie answered.

"I knew it!" Elizabeth said excitedly.

"Knew what?" Lennie asked her with an amused smile.

"Oh well, when I saw you sit down, I caught a glimpse of your gun, and I felt sure you were a cop," she answered a bit embarrassed at her own enthusiasm.

They continued talking, and finally Lennie offered to give her a ride back to her dorm. Elizabeth knew she probably shouldn't, but decided to give Lennie her phone number anyway.

Lennie worked his shift, and occasionally pulled out the note card Elizabeth had written her phone number on. He debated whether he should keep the card or not, after all she was really too young for him. He was old for being in his early 30s, and she was a sophomore in college, probably no more than 20.

He was looking forward to the weekend, not only did he not have the duty shift but he was suppose to have his daughters from Friday evening through until Monday morning, when he would drop Cathy at school and Julia at daycare. Of course as the old saying goes the best-laid plans of mice and men, his ex called with some lame excuse about why she couldn't bring his daughters over. As usual the conversation disintegrated into a screaming match and Lennie finally just hung up on her.

'Well, if I'm not going to have the girls here this weekend, I may as well line up a date for Friday night,' he thought to himself. He looked for Elizabeth's note card.

"Um, Elizabeth?" Lennie asked as a young woman answered the phone.

"No, this is her roommate Lynn. Elizabeth isn't back from class yet. Can I take a message?" the young woman asked.

"Sure, tell her Lennie called, and I'll try calling her back a little later," he said, the disappointment coming through in his voice.

"You want to leave a number and I can have her call you?" the young woman asked hopefully.

"Uh, no I'm going to be in and out of the office, so it's better if I call her, but thanks anyways," Lennie responded before hanging up.

Shortly after Lynn hung up, her roommate walked into their dorm room. "Oh Elizabeth, now you show up, talk about lousy timing," Lynn berated her roommate.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

"Some guy named Lennie, whose got a great voice by the way, just called for you, didn't leave a number, but said he'd call back," Lynn explained.

"Oh damn, I wish I'd been here," Elizabeth complained as she flopped down on her bed.

"So tell me about him. Where did you meet him? What's he look like? Is he nice? He sounded a bit older." her roommate bombarded her with questions.

"I met him at a coffee shop. He's about six foot two and sort of lanky, you know the type. He's got dark hair, deep-set eyes that are sort of blue green, and he's got a dark complexion, what my mother calls swarthy. I'd guess he's in his early 30s. He's a detective for the NYPD, he's divorced and has two little girls that he's head over heels in love with, which I think makes him absolutely adorable." Elizabeth explained to her roommate.

"Oh Elizabeth, you can't go out with this guy!" Lynn declared.

"Why not?" Elizabeth protested

"Well, let's just make a list. He's too old for you, he's already got one failed marriage, you're way too young to be taking on stepmother duties," Lynn paused. "Shall I go on?"

Elizabeth glared at her roommate.

"And I just bet he doesn't know about your, how shall I put it? Unique situation? Of course, if he did it might make him more eager, some men like virgins," Lynn added.

"Thanks Lynn, just rub it in," Elizabeth said, as she slammed the bathroom door. She started the shower so she could have a cry in privacy.

Lennie tried to concentrate on the case he was working, but he was having a hard time, so he asked his partner to pull over so he could use a pay phone and give Elizabeth another call.

"Elizabeth?" he asked

"Lennie?" she responded.

"I'm glad your there."

"I'm sorry I missed your call. My anatomy physiology class ran long. So what's up?"

"Well, I was wondering whether you might be able to take a little break from studying this weekend to go out with me? I thought maybe we could have dinner, take in a movie or go dancing, whatever you like," Lennie offered.

"That sounds wonderful," she answered.

"How about I pick you up at your dorm about 7:30 Friday evening?" he asked.

"It's a date," she answered.

"See you then," he answered.

As Lennie was getting ready for his date with Elizabeth, he found himself having an internal debate. 'She's just a girl. You're way too old and experienced for her, and you've got no business dragging her into your life,' said one part of him. 'It's just a date. I'm not asking her to move in and be a step-mom to my girls or anything like that,' countered his other half. 'Yeah well, where you going to take her, she's not even old enough to drink you know?'

"Shut up," he said to his voices, as he splashed on some cologne.

Elizabeth dashed around her dorm room trying to find the right thing to wear on her date.

"Please Lynn, don't be a jerk. Give me a hand. Help me figure out what to wear," she pleaded.

'Well, all right. Not that!" she said grabbing a dress from Elizabeth's hands.

"God, with your wardrobe this is going to be a tough one. We can't have you looking like a schoolgirl or like your going out on an interview. You don't want to look sluttish, but it wouldn't hurt to look like you know a little bit more about sex than you actually do," Lynn snapped her fingers. "I've got it."

When Lennie arrived to pick Elizabeth up, she was wearing a pair of tight black slacks and a mint green sweater that showed some cleavage. Her hair was swept back and cascaded down her back and Lynn had done a quick, light makeup job to emphasize her natural beauty.

"Wow, you look beautiful," were the first words out of Lennie's mouth.

"Thank you, and you look very handsome yourself," she commented. As they left her dorm Elizabeth glanced back and saw her roommate give a thumbs up.

"So, food or entertainment first?" he asked.

"Food, I'm famished," she answered with a smile.

They ate at an Italian restaurant and spent nearly an hour and a half talking, and then finally walked to a nearby theatre. Lennie let Elizabeth choose the movie, the Blake Edwards comedy "10". Despite just coming from a big Italian dinner, Lennie insisted on popcorn, chocolate covered raisinettes and cokes, saying it wasn't a movie otherwise. Although it was a very funny movie, the subject matter made Lennie slightly uncomfortable. Not that he was as old as the leading man in the movie, but still he was having some qualms about the age difference between him and Elizabeth.

"I've had a wonderful evening and I don't want it to end," she said.

"Well, what about we go for coffee somewhere? We can sit and talk about the movie, if you want," he offered.

"All right," she said eagerly.

It was 2 AM and their waitress was getting annoyed with them.

"Come on I better get you back to your dorm," he said.

"Oh no!" Elizabeth said looking at the time.

"What's wrong?" Lennie asked, wondering if his date had suddenly discovered she'd been pick pocketed or something.

"The main door locks at 2, I can't get back in," she explained a bit panicked.

"Well, can't you just call your room mate and have her come down and open the door?" Lennie asked, remembering back to his college days.

"No, she's out with her boyfriend and," Elizabeth paused and looked down sort of embarrassed.

'Uh, you don't need to finish that explanation," Lennie said.

"Look, you can crash at my place," he offered.

Elizabeth looked up at him with wild blue eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you do what your roommate's doing. I've got a spare bedroom for when my girls visit me. You can sleep there tonight, that is if you don't mind a room that's decorated for a 4 year old and an 8 year old," he said with grin that set her at ease.

"OK, I think I'm too tired to argue anyway," she said, giving in as gracefully as she could.

Lennie took her to his apartment, and thanked his lucky stars that he'd cleaned up in anticipation of the girls coming over for the weekend, so the place didn't look like a wreck. He'd no more than thrown the deadbolt until Elizabeth yawned in his face, so he pointed out the important landmarks, bedroom and bathroom.

"Lennie, have you got something comfortable I can sleep in?" she asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Uh, sure just a second," he answered. A few moments later he knocked on the bathroom door and she opened it just enough for him to pass her a pair of pajamas.

"Lennie, are these your pajamas?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Well, what are you going to wear?" she asked, sounding a bit confused.

"What I usually wear," he answered.

"Which is?" she asked, sounding a little alarmed.

"My boxers and a t-shirt. I only wear pajamas when my mother's visiting," he explained.

"Are you giggling?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Why?" he demanded to know.

"I don't know, just the idea that you have to be all prim and proper for your mother, like the big tough detective is a momma's boy," she said or at least he thought that's what she said because she burst out laughing when she said momma's boy.

"You get out here and I'll show you a Momma's boy!" he teased and started to push open the bathroom door.

"Lennie don't," she screeched.

He stopped because it sounded to him as though she were truly scared.

"I'm sorry. I was just clowning around I didn't mean to scare you or anything," he said.

It was quiet and she didn't answer him.

"Elizabeth? Did I scare you? I'm sorry I really, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you," he stopped talking because he couldn't figure out what else to say.

Finally the door opened. Elizabeth stood there in his pajama top looking both incredibly sexy and very vulnerable. He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to pick her up and hug her, sit with her in a rocking chair and sing her a lullaby. The other part wanted to carry her to bed and make love to her, and he wasn't entirely sure what part of him was going to win. Finally he just opened his arms and let her decide what to do.

She slowly came forward and put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. He pulled his arms in, placing one hand in her hair and the other across her back. She sniffled a little and rubbed her eyes against his t-shirt.

"I'm sorry to act like such a big baby," she said.

"No, it's OK," he assured her as he walked her to the spare bedroom. "I should have realized that my joking around could scare you. You'd think a cop would have more sense wouldn't you?" he asked rhetorically.

"I don't know, I guess when a person is just goofing around they aren't going to necessarily realize somebody else might have a hang up about something," Elizabeth said very softly as she stood at the door to the bedroom.

"Well, you know what, it's awfully late to talk about hang ups. Why don't you try to get a good night's sleep and I'll see you in the morning," With that he gave her a gentle kiss and turned and went to his bedroom.

Lennie didn't sleep well. He thought about Elizabeth. It wasn't just the proximity of a beautiful desirable woman, nor was it their age difference. It was how much living Lennie had managed to cram into his life and apparently how little Elizabeth had in hers. He realized that even if they were the same age, they wouldn't be the same in level of life experience and that's what was really bothering him.

Lennie had been precocious his whole life. He'd finished High School when he was just sixteen, and yet no one ever realized he was that young. He played around a bit with a job, and then spent a couple of years in the army rather than going to Spofford for a stupid teenage stunt he'd pulled. As he'd told Elizabeth he'd spent a while at City College after he'd gotten back from Nam. He'd dropped out and gone to the Academy when he was the age Elizabeth was now. In the last twelve years he'd become a police officer, fallen in love with and married the woman he thought he was going to live happily every after with, fathered two beautiful daughters with her, and then lived through the reality of so many American couples, infidelity and divorce.

Lennie sighed and turned over. He punched his pillow. He wanted to be Elizabeth's friend and lover, not her teacher about life. But now that he'd started seeing her, he didn't know what to do, if he stopped seeing her abruptly she'd be hurt and he didn't want to do that to her, but he was sure now that he shouldn't lead her on into thinking that they had a long term future, because he was pretty sure they didn't. She couldn't really fit into his complicated life. She was too young to take on what being his lover would entail. He shuddered to think how his ex would treat her. Maybe to be kind he'd have to be cruel.


End file.
